Spring Blossom Honey Glazed Gammon
There are some ingredients that do more than simply add flavour to a dish. They carry a sense of place, a connection to the people who produce them and a story that deserves to be told.
This week, I am bringing together a very British favourite, roast gammon, with a beautiful ingredient from one of my favourite places in Corfu: Spring Blossom Honey from the Syriotis Family of Old Perithia.
The Syriotis family has been keeping bees in Old Perithia since 1927, continuing a family tradition beneath Mount Pantokrator in northern Corfu. The family describes its spring blossom honey as an aromatic honey produced from the wild flowers of the surrounding mountains.
Old Perithia itself is a remarkable mountain village with a long history and a strong
connection with Corfu’s traditional way of life. It is precisely this connection between food, people and place that I want to explore through A Weekly Taste of Greece.
For this recipe, I use the honey as a glaze for the gammon. As it cooks, the natural sweetness of the honey caramelises against the salty richness of the pork, creating a glossy, deeply coloured exterior and a wonderful balance of sweet and savoury flavours.
The gammon is served with creamy mustard potato, tenderstem broccoli, sugar snap peas and glazed carrots, finished with a rich pan gravy.
It may not be a traditional Greek recipe, but that is not the point. It is a recipe inspired by Greece and, more importantly, by a genuine Greek ingredient and the story behind it.
Serves 2 Ingredients
2 thick slices of cooked gammon
2 tablespoons Syriotis Family Spring Blossom Honey 1 teaspoon English mustard
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
500g potatoes, peeled and quartered 25g butter
50ml milk
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 100g tenderstem broccoli 100g sugar snap peas
2 carrots, peeled and cut into batons 1 tablespoon butter
150ml chicken or ham stock 1 teaspoon plain flour
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard Freshly ground black pepper A little sea salt, if required Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C, or 170°C fan.
Place the gammon in a roasting dish. Mix the Spring Blossom Honey with the English mustard and Dijon mustard, then brush generously over the gammon.
Roast for approximately 15 to 20 minutes, basting once or twice with the juices from the pan, until the honey has caramelised and the gammon is beautifully glazed.
Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a pan of salted water until completely tender. Drain well and allow them to steam for a minute before returning them to the pan.
Mash the potatoes with the butter and warm milk until smooth and creamy. Fold through the Dijon mustard and season with freshly ground black pepper. Keep warm.
Blanch the broccoli and sugar snap peas in boiling water until just tender, then drain thoroughly.
Cook the carrot batons in a little butter over a moderate heat until tender and lightly glazed.
For the gravy, place the roasting juices into a small saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook gently for a minute. Gradually whisk in the stock and simmer until the gravy has thickened. Stir in the Dijon mustard and adjust the seasoning.
Place the glazed gammon onto warm plates and spoon over a little of the pan gravy. Add the mustard potato alongside, followed by the broccoli, sugar snap peas and glazed carrots.
Finish with another light drizzle of the Spring Blossom Honey over the gammon just before serving.
A Taste of Corfu
What I particularly like about this dish is the contrast. The gammon brings salt and richness, while the Spring Blossom Honey brings a delicate floral sweetness. The mustard provides the sharpness needed to balance the two, while the vegetables add freshness and colour.
And that, for me, is what A Weekly Taste of Greece is all about.
It is about discovering the ingredients, producers, traditions, memories and stories that make Greek food so special, while also showing how those flavours can inspire dishes beyond the traditional Greek kitchen.
From the mountains of Old Perithia to a plate of roast gammon, sometimes a taste of Greece can begin with something as simple as a jar of honey.
A Weekly Taste of Greece with Paul James
Recipes, Stories & Traditions from the Heart of the Mediterranean
